Because I'm someone who loves challenging music, and hates challenging myself, I went into a Barnes & Noble and handed over $12 for a copy of The Wire's 2018 recap issue. The #1 album of 2018, according to the "notes compiled from the votes of the following contributors and staff," is some fine contempo-jazz slam from Sons of Kemet. Wouldn't mind hearing a daughter or two of Kemet, but I digress. Anyway, each song is a tribute to a powerful black woman (My Queen is ____), so its politics are unimpeachable. Me personally, my queen is Marla Gibbs, but to each their own I guess. The album's great, though, even if I do like the shouting dubby parts (which are cool) better than the jazzy parts (which aren't a million miles away from Squirrel Nut Zippers). Here listen for yourself.
We can quibble--is this really the most forward-looking radical experimental album of 2018? But it's an impossible album to dislike. And as any one who's ever been part of a committee can tell you, "impossible to dislike" is what usually brings home the gold.
What I'm really interested in though is that listing of "contributors and staff" from which they sourced the list. Because in parentheses, we get to see each writer's personal best release of 2018. That's where the good shit is, especially (I'm going to guess) the stuff I haven't heard of. But there are two choices in there that had me laughing and shaking my head. Raymond Cummings listed Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Sparkle Hard as his album of the year, and Simon Reynolds had Migos Culture II, which suggests Reynolds may be going through the mid-life crisis from hell.
Culture II isn't even the best Migos album. It's not even the best Migos album with the word Culture.(that would be 2017's Culture). Culture II is nearly two hours of lazy meandering bullshit.I can't help imagining Reynolds driving around L.A. tossing around all his $20 bills he made off his latest book, shouting out the window, Higher we go beg and plead for the culture. Beyond the opening lines though, I hope Reynolds stops singing and just nods along to the rest of the album.
Not that I don't think Reynolds doesn't believe his wife, Joy Press, is a bad bitch who Reynolds like to pass to one of his homies when he's finished with her, but...it's funny to imagine, as is Reynolds decking himself out in expensive jewelry. I hope his next book is all about fucking and chains. He can call it Heteromania (a title I'm sure Migos will totally appreciate).
But it's Cummings' choice might be even more ridiculous. I can imagine Cummings running around The Wire offices (I know this is not a realistic scenario) shouting to his writers and editors. Hey everyone! It's 2018 and Stephen Malkmus made an album that doesn't totally completely suck! It's not even close to anything good he's ever done in his life, but like, it doesn't make you actively angry to listen to! It's only kind of boring in places! It's gotta be the album of the year! Get out of her with that Jlin shit! Too dark! Not wistful enough!
Jlin's Autobiography was #39 on Wire's list (kudos to Jacob Arnold for putting it #1 on his personal list). It's cooler than any single thing I've talked about so far, including Marla Gibbs and my jokes at the expense of Simon Reynolds. Even if Autobiography is just a soundtrack, Jlin's ability to fuck with sound and rhythm is just breathtaking.
I wouldn't put it #1 on a list. My personal album of 2018? Whichever album from 2018 I've currently chosen to listen to. List making is for upper-middle-class dweebs trying to impress each other.
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